Last summer, several CJ students took their faith and leadership to new heights by attending two national leadership conferences — one hosted by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the other by the Marianists. Both experiences deepened their understanding of the mission and charisms that ground Chaminade Julienne’s identity.
“Through these leadership conferences, CJ students have so many opportunities to learn, grow, and pray alongside students from other schools across the country,” said Marty Bagatti, campus minister for retreats. “These students, united by their SND or Marianist roots, get an incredible opportunity to minister to one another and to share the wisdom they have each gained from their particular school communities.”
Eight students traveled to Boston for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Leadership Conference during the final week of June. Along with their chaperones, Gabe Lawson and Rachel Osterday, they joined students from Notre Dame schools nationwide to explore topics such as social justice outreach, communication, leadership skills, and school event planning. The experience allowed them to grow as leaders in the spirit of St. Julie Billiart and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
While there, students also had the chance to explore the historic city of Boston, gaining a richer appreciation for its culture, academic legacy, and place in American history.
Adriana Perez-Rosa ‘26 was one of the students who traveled to Boston.
“I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to attend the leadership conference in Boston last summer,” said Perez-Rosa. “Having the chance to meet with other Notre Dame schools around the country and share our ideas about leadership was the most impactful for me. I am excited to use these new ideas, activities, and lessons this year at CJ.”
According to Bagatti, these leadership conferences are beneficial because they provide our students and teachers with new perceptions.
“Although all schools represented operate under the banners of the same founders, we don’t necessarily offer the same formation,” he said. “There is always something to be gained by adding more perspectives. A teacher or student at another school might have insights that we never would have come to on our own.”
Every year, CJ students apply and are selected to be on the Marianist LIFE (Living In Faith Experience) team, formally known as FLIGHT. Natalya Garcia ‘26 and Eric Daniel ‘26 were among the CJ students who had the
opportunity to attend the LIFE Conference here in Dayton this past summer.
Inspired by Fr. William Joseph Chaminade’s vision of building a faith community in order to transform the world, students at this conference experienced sacraments, prayer, leadership development, and social justice education. LIFE is a national faith-formation program rooted in Marianist tradition that serves to create Catholic high school leaders to be spiritual guides to the rest of the school.
“LIFE helped strengthen my faith,” said Garcia. “We went to Mass and had prayer services every night, which allowed me to really hear the words and appreciate everyone who was there. Especially when I’m going through a hard time, the insights I gained there will help me find my strength.”
Garcia strongly encourages younger students to attend LIFE because it is life-changing.
While looking back at his LIFE experience, Daniel’s big takeaway was how welcome everyone was. “We all came from different parts of the world,” said Daniel, “We left with what, to me, feels like a gravitational pull towards each other. I loved the sense of solidarity, and that is what I’d like to take back to CJ. LIFE week is definitely the highlight of my year.”
“For many, these trips are not one-off experiences,” said Bagatti. “With social media, students take advantage of the opportunity to connect and continue to build upon those connections. With LIFE, I know many folks who connected over LIFE week, then reconnected through Marianist programs in college. So, we have no idea where these relationships and connections are going to go!”